JtheJon: March 2018

Cafe Asia 2018

Industry leaders meet at Singapore’s largest dedicated show for the coffee industry to explore new frontier

Singapore, 22 March 2018 Thousands of food and beverage (F&B) establishments in Singapore and the region dedicate themselves to serving freshly brewed cups of java or tea and delightful pastries every day. While many Asian countries have enjoyed the café culture phenomenon for many years, new markets like Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia are now starting to witness the growth of the café industry in their countries.

To support the diverse needs of these thriving businesses, key players of the coffee, tea, and bakery industries converged at Café Asia 2018 today to foster new collaborations, explore opportunities, and to present the latest trends and developments to trade professionals and members of the public. The event was launched this afternoon by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Chairman, Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance, Trade & Industry and Member of Parliament, Holland – Bukit Timah GRC

Café Asia 2018, the International Coffee & Tea (ICT) Industry Expo 2018, and Sweets and Bakes Asia (SBA) 2018 concurrently offer a one-stop convenient sourcing hub for the industry. Spanning a gross exhibition area of 5,000 square metres, the shows are expected to attract over 10,000 baristas, café and coffee purveyors, coffee roasters, tea and baking ingredients suppliers, equipment distributors, and members of the public over the next three days.

A key highlight of the show this year will be the gathering of coffee industry experts at the inaugural ASEAN Coffee Symposium 2018. The symposium to be held tomorrow, will present and discuss important issues faced by the industry. These include thought-provoking topics such as role of women in coffee, social enterprise and sustainability of coffee in a changing climate, and how financial institutions can ensure a sustainable and traceable coffee supply chain to help small-scale coffee farmers. The panel discussion will be led by Mr Victor Mah, President, ASEAN Coffee Federation & Singapore Coffee Association and include key members of the ASEAN Coffee Federation.

Since it was first introduced to the market in 2013, Café Asia has featured distributors and suppliers of equipment, machinery, accessories, and other products for coffee and tea businesses, while ICT has presented the upstream sector of the coffee and tea industries to offer a complete showcase of supplies such as raw coffee beans and tea leaves, to processing and packing services for wholesale purchases and trading. With 142 exhibitors from 25 countries, the shows mark Southeast Asia’s largest annual gathering of the coffee, tea, and bakery industries, dedicated to the celebration of the burgeoning café scene across the region.

Since the emergence of hundreds of specialty cafés in Singapore over the past few years, consumers have been eager to keep up with the latest trends and innovations in the café industry, from nitro cold brews to siphon coffees, tea pairings to visually delightful desserts. According to Euromonitor in 2017, the bakery and confectionery sectors have been enjoying stable growth in Singapore. This includes internationally renowned bakeries setting up shop in Singapore, responding to the rising demand for quality bread, cakes and pastries. The appreciation for products with functional and health benefits is no surprise. This reflects consumers’ changing lifestyles, spurring innovative creations from F&B businesses in their bid to stay competitive.

The shows will be packed a comprehensive programme designed to impart deeper understanding of and appreciation for the trade and café industry. Businesses entering the booming digital economy will appreciate the e-commerce clinic presented by RedMart to help businesses understand the challenges of expanding online.

Visitors to the shows will also meet international experts including renowned cake designer Molly Eleonora Coppini and the Australian Tea Masters, the leading organisation for tea master and tea sommelier training in Australasia.

Five national-level coffee championships will see Singapore’s home-grown baristas, brewers, latte artists, and students contend in the Singapore National Barista Championship, Singapore Latte Art Championship, Singapore Brewers Cup Championship, Singapore Cup Tasters Championship, and the second edition of the Singapore Coffee in Good Spirits Championship. Winners of the respective national titles will represent Singapore on the international stage at the world championships later this year.

Café Asia 2018, the International Coffee & Tea Industry Expo 2018, and Sweets & Bakes Asia 2018 are organised by Conference & Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd (CEMS). Café Asia 2018 and International Coffee & Tea Industry Expo 2018 are hosted by Singapore Coffee Association.